Patriotic Motivational Music Video suggestion

[chknltl]

Forgive me if this may sound sophomoric but I feel a music video which pays homage to those who are working to save America/our Constitution/our Democracy/our soldiers may be something worth considering.

We here at DU are constantly pointing out the crimes and tragedies that are being perpetrated by the bfee on We The People. I would like to suggest that we might try pointing out the heroes among us and do so in music video format. I feel it would be a moral booster and encourage folks to redouble their efforts, regardless of what their efforts might be.

Music played a key role back in the late 60s and early 70s in motivating the youth of that era. It helped focus their very thinking more often than not. Perhaps due to the fact that I am in my early '50s, I am not seeing music play the same role today as it did then. The very song I would use comes from that period of time and I feel it would be very suitable today.

I am not sure what the umbrella of this Activism Forum covers but I am convinced that the talent to create what I have pre-visualized is here in the DU and I am hoping that this forum is where to suggest it.

Here is what I have in mind:

If I were technically capable, (and owned a Mac), I would create this You-tube style music video using The Who's song "We're Not Gonna Take It" from the Woodstock Album. The words are very inspirational and the music quite powerful.

My own list of known freedom fighters who I could see used in this music video would include: Waxman, Conyers, Wexler, Thom Hartmann, Randy Rhodes, Code Pink, Dennis Kuccinch, The Daily Kos founder, Ariana Huffington, David Brock, Naomi Wolf, Cindi Sheehan, Skinner-Elad-Earl G, John Stewert, Valery Plame, Kieth Olberman, Our Troops, Mike Malloy, Rachel Madow, Stephen Colbert, and etc.

I would mix those individuals in with the not so "famous" ones, for instance there were those thousand or so Americans who stood together and spelled out the words IMPEACH BUSH on a California Beach, and there were the High School Students In Washington State who organized a 1 day walkout of all of the local high schools and marched together through the streets of Seattle in protest of the war. I would use the Freeway Blogger and those who volunteer at our VA Hospitals. There are thousands of unsung heroes to choose from here, I would want to include an amount of them equal to those included celebrities.

I would look to my fellow DUers to recommend who should be added to both of these lists and to fill me in on why they deserve to be in this music-video. I would want to know who your heroes are, I would need those tales of Senator so and so as well as that neighbor who sits out on the corner each day with his "I Want My Country Back" sign

I feel that mixing all of these Americans both the "celebrity", and the "non-celebrity" will help to unify their efforts as being directed to the common cause. The little guy would feel as though his efforts were seen as equally important, that we appreciate that individual effort as having a positive affect on reaching our mutually desired outcome. The truth is that those efforts by the common folks are crucial and I would see this music video as being directed to motivate them more than anyone else. I want to inspire the "little guy" with this. I recognize that their part in all this is the key to success.

I would open the song with visuals that inspire anger for what has been done to Democracy over the last few years, perhaps attempt to inspire the viewer of his or her responsibilities to maintain our Democracy, to remind the viewer of what we stand to lose.

If you are familiar with the song go take a listen to it, close your eyes and imagine how you would open it. Then as it changes to the inspirational part imagine your own list of freedom fighters, those who you feel are deserving of our tribute. If I am right you be will feeling what I am feeling.

Here let me set it up for you, this is just one possible hypothetical opening to the music-video, it is one I could imagine for the first minute and a half of the 6 minute song:

Lyrics: "We Forsake you...Gonna Rape you... Let's Forget you... Better still."
Visual: Senior members of the bfee walking away from a tattered document lieing in a dark cobblestone alley while zipping up their flys.

Lyrics: "See Me... Feel Me... Touch Me... Heal Me."
Visuals: We close in on the document to see that it is OUR American Constitution which the bfee has just pissed on.

Lyrics: (repeated) "See Me... Feel Me... Touch Me... Heal Me."
Visuals: The ghosts of our Founding Fathers fade in around the Constitution and stare back at us.

Lyrics: (repeated) "See Me... Feel Me... Touch Me... Heal Me."
Visuals: The ghosts of Roosevelt, Lincoln, Martin Luther King, J.F.K. join them staring back at us.

Lyrics: (repeated forcefully with passion) "SEE ME!... FEEL ME!... TOUCH ME!... HEAL ME!
Visuals: The ghosts fade, A soldier ghost replaces them in a worn revolutionary war uniform, the uniform morphs through a variety of military uniforms from throughout our history ending with the one currently in use by our troops in Iraq. Behind him is that famous W.W.2 video where the troops are pushing up the flagpole with the American flag on the island of Iwo Jima.

(I know...I know..., look It's just a hypothetical, I am thinking there are folks here who could do FAR better, I am just trying to moisten a few patriotic eyes and maybe inspire one of ya to tackle the project and actually do it justice.)

That could be the opening, the music changes here and for the next 4-plus minutes the lyrics are pure inspiration arguably religious. This is where I would see those whom we would pay tribute to placed. For those of you unfamiliar with this piece I'll write out the lyrics only, (and spare you my smarmy imaginings). They repeat 3 and a half times and are accompanied by some powerful music which builds from start to finnish.

"Listening to you.... I Get the Music.
Gazing at you... I get the Heat.
Following you... I climb the Mountains.
I get excitement at your feet."

"Right behind you... I see the millions.
on you.... I see the Glory
From you...I get the billions.
From you I get the story"

If you have access to the actual song go listen to it. Imagine your own visuals for it or use my hypothetical opening and imagine those who you would like to see recognized through the rest of the song. If you do this, you will see why I feel particularly strong about this song and seeing it used as I have suggested.

Once created I feel this music video could be used to inspire as well as enlighten it's listeners.
It could be ended with a call to support a candidate, or to support a program, or even to get folks to add their names to Congressman Wexler's Impeachment petition. I feel that ANY vet who sees it will be strongly motivated, I further feel that those who are doing their part, however it is that they are doing it, from the freeway-blogger to Congressman Conyers, would be motivated to redouble their efforts. In a sense a Patriotic Motivational Music Video.

If you have read this far my fellow DUers thank you. Perhaps this is all sophomoric wishful thinking of an aging hippie and a big part of me is embarrassed to even post this but when I hear this song I feel it's potential and I guess I am hoping that there are others here who can feel it too. If so, perhaps a seed has been planted.

Here is one youtube version of the song itself. It does not do the actual record version justice and the opening verse is not there but in case you are not familiar with the song at all it will aid you in seeing what I am wanting to do and why.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc4REpJ9FsE&feature=related

[FreepFryer]

1. Great song - and idea. But it's "from you.. I get opinions", not "I get the billions" (nt)

[chknltl]

2. oops

" the billions " is as I first heard it as a teen and I guess it stuck. :blush: "oppinions" makes far better sense too! Thanks for the correction and thanks for reading the entire thread. Ya know, I confess to once wondering about Jimi Hendrix's sexual orientation due to the line: "Pardon me while I kiss this guy" in Purple Haze! I thought my last misheard lyric had been repaired ages ago...guess not, huh. This particular oops will be painful for awhile! Thanks again
(cool name, "FreepFryer" btw)

[chknltl]

3. Additional thoughts

First: :blush: about that lyrics screw-up, I'll NEVER EVER live that down!

If I have not made it clear, I really believe that a political music video, one as I am suggesting can be very useful for motivating people to action. I further feel that it is crucial to recognize those regular normal folks, the ones who felt it was important to "Do Something!" as well as recognize our leaders and radio-hosts and activist groups and yes even our very own DU activists. By recognizing them TOGETHER in a music video, we are in a sense tie-ing them each into the bigger picture, one of patriotism.

I see it like this: the "little guy", for instance the high school student from Seattle who partook in that 1 day city-wide walkout will see this video and think "Hell yeah! "My actions were important, important enough to be noticed, important enough to make it into a music video which is being seen by millions of people. More importantly my actions are being recognized right alongside of some pretty famous people, congressmen and radio-hosts! RIGHT THE F**K ON! Sign me up, where can I pitch in and help next?" It is my hope to inspire such thoughts in a great many "little guys"

For the "Big Guys", let's say Jon Conyers, (and if he gets used, hell yes we will make sure he sees this music video), he will see his segment, know that we are paying him a measure of homage AND (if we do it right), we are putting him on the "spot" so to speak to at least complete the actions he is currently taking in a way favorable to the overall cause. He will feel the added pressure from knowing that WE THE PEOPLE have our eyes on him, and his actions! He will know that we are watching him with anticipation of an outcome which should benefit the overall cause. Again that is if we get it right, in his particular case we might spend a moment addressing how his work with the Downing Street Memo was blocked by Hastert. Then we could spend the rest of his segment on his current efforts and add an element of patriotism to them. Make him see that WE THE PEOPLE are viewing him as a hero who is continuing the "Good Fight"! That's the kind of pressure I am talking about.

Most of the radio hosts I mentioned are old enough to be very familiar with the song I am recommending here. If the music video is done right, it SHOULD bring tears to their eyes, I WANT them to feel a measure of pride and patriotism, I want this to ease any doubts they may have that WE THE PEOPLE are not appreciating their efforts. I want them to see that WE THE PEOPLE know how crucial they are and will continue to be in this struggle to take back our country! It can't hurt that the music video is drawing attention to their radio programs and doing so in a very positive way. You can't buy that kind of publicity! You bet they will notice it and I'll damn well make sure they see it too!

This political, motivational music video is not only intended to pay homage, inspire and educate it is my intention to see it used as a call to further action. We can use it to point folks in a needed direction and this is done at the end of the video itself. For instance, had we had this tool a few months back, we could have ended it with: "In Florida, Congressman Wexler is seeking votes in a petition to present to Congress for an impeachment hearing into the actions of Dick Cheney. Congressman Wexler NEEDS YOUR SIGNATURE NOW!, go out and tell everyone you know who wants his or her country back about what Congressman Wexler is doing. Democracy needs YOU to make them sign that petition!" (Smarmy, I know but you get the idea)

That is just one example, I know it takes time to create something like this so perhaps it may wind up as a support tool for the Democratic Nominee! Hell wouldn't it be way cool to see our music video played at the Democratic National Convention! You can bet there will be something there like I am proposing and if we get it right it actually might just be ours. (It probably won't have any images of bush peeing on the Constitution though...that was just a hypothetical example anyway).

When it is done, it needs to be on you-tube and it needs to be sent out to as many websites as possible. If my guess is accurate, it will have a major impact on those who are included in it. Veterans against wars links, if veterans against wars are included, Code Pink links, if Code Pink is used. The Huffington Post, if Arianna is used and even our own DU if some of our own activists are used. If we choose to add one of our own activists in a segment and run the video on our front page, how many of our DUers will see it and go: "Huh, I didn't know we were doing that! COOL! I could donate $$ to that particular bit of activism!"

Let me end here by thanking anyone who has read this far into my mad plan. I know that actual music videos are challenging to make, I know it will take more than just a "nerd with a mac", hell some of my suggestions, if followed, could take a team of computer animators and illustrators months to accomplish and most of those guys have "REAL JOBS"! It is my feeling that we have the very talent here, within the membership of the Democratic Underground, to create an effective Political, Motivational Music Video, one which may make an impact on all who see it. It does not have to be the song I suggested nor does it have to have any suggestion I have given but I strongly feel this project could and should be done by us. That would be my goal.
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